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By the time Coker arrived in Coral Gables in 1995 as Butch Davis' offensive coordinator, Maryland was on his way to his third Super Bowl title with the Dallas Cowboys.

“We were always coming back (to the Miami campus) and seeing the guys and seeing the coaches,” Maryland said. “When (Coker) became the head coach, nothing changed. He was just as amicable as you know him today.”

Maryland's 10-year NFL career had ended by the time Coker took over the Miami program in 2001.

He remembered being welcomed at Hurricanes' practices during Coker's first year, which ended in an undefeated run to the national title. It's a reason Maryland has always attended UTSA functions when Coker has called.

“Me being here, it's just a favor being returned,” he said in an interview Tuesday morning.

Maryland, a resident of Southlake in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, said he has been keeping an eye on the development of Coker's program at UTSA.

He said it's notable the Roadrunners have opened with a 12-10 record in two seasons, including 8-4 last year.

Maryland said he attributes the success to Coker's style of coaching and to the type of under-recruited, overachieving athletes his staff has embraced.

“I can relate to that because when I was recruited to Miami, I wasn't their first choice, either,” said Maryland, a former Chicago schoolboy. “I wasn't many people's first choice.”

In fact, Maryland said he had only one offer — to Indiana State — as a high school senior in 1986.

A few days into the signing period that year, another Chicago-based athlete spurned Miami and elected to attend Illinois, leaving the door open for Maryland to join coach Jimmy Johnson and the Hurricanes.

Five years later, after Maryland had contributed to two national-title teams with the Hurricanes, he entered the NFL with the Johnson-coached Cowboys.

“So the lesson is, and I'm sure I'll have a chance to speak to these UTSA kids eventually, it doesn't matter where you start out; it's how you finish up,” Maryland said. “If you work hard, you give yourself a much better chance of being successful.”